Tony Abbott
has used a visit to the Western Front in France to implore Australians to look beyond Gallipoli to a field of conflict where the sacrifice was greater and the achievements shaped the outcome of World War I.

A day after participating in services to commemorate the D-Day landings in which Australians played a role and which heralded the end of World War II, the Prime Minister switched his focus to the conflict of 1914 to 1918.

In commissioning the construction of a new visitor interpretation centre at Villers-Bretonneux to be ready in time for the centenary of the two battles fought there in 1918, and to be named after General Sir John Monash, Mr Abbott said the nation owed a duty to the 46,000 Australians slaughtered in Europe “to remember what they achieved’’.

“We remember a time when Australia helped to shape world history as never before or since,’’ he said.

He said Australians should be “as familiar with the story of the Western Front as we are with Gallipoli’’.

“Australians should be at least as familiar with the achievements of Monash as we are with the heroism of John Simpson Kirkpatrick,’’ he said.

“Australians should congregate here, every April 25th, no less than at Anzac Cove. And on Anzac Day four years hence, the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, I’m sure they will."

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Mr Abbott delivered his message to the Victoria School in the town of Villers-Brettoneux. The school was built between 1923 and 1927 with money raised by Victorian school children and features above its quadrangle a large sign saying: “Do Not Forget Australia’’.

After Mr Abbott spoke, a small group of locals spontaneously sang the first stanza of Waltzing Matilda.

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Mr Abbott joins Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and John Howard as Prime Ministers who have visited the school. On Saturday, he also visited memorials at Pozieres and Thiepval, and the town of Albert.

He believes General Monash, who developed such techniques as the creeping artillery barrage, is much under-recognised.

“Their commander, General Sir John Monash, brought organisation and technology to the battlefield to break the stalemate of trench the futility of men charging against barbed wire and machine guns,’’ he said.

“(British) Prime Minister Lloyd George called him the ‘most resourceful general in the whole of the British Army’.’’

Mr Abbott noted in the final six months of World War I, the five divisions of the Australian corps bested no fewer than 39 enemy and 19 divisions, took 29,000 prisoners, captured 338 guns and advanced over more than 40 miles of contested ground.

“They comprised less than 10 per cent of total British Empire forces but made almost a quarter of all the gains in the war’s decisive final months,’’ he said.

“It’s the only time Australia’s forces have been in the main battles of the main war theatre and made a major difference to its outcome.’’